


Maybe This Year

by Calyxir



Category: ENHYPEN (Band), TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Heeseung cameo, M/M, Merry Christmas!, Mistletoe, This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, because sunghoon loves soobin yesyes, hehe the tags are so misleading wtf am i doing, idk how to tag but i hope this is satisfying enough, kai loves molang sm wbk, like srsly, side taegyu, srsly why do i seem to hurt soobin in every fic it's concerning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:14:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28262205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calyxir/pseuds/Calyxir
Summary: Beomgyu is Soobin’s personal cupid. His very own stupid wingman. Was stupid too harsh? No one can blame Soobin for that, though. Every single person Beomgyu has set up for Soobin turned out badly. Beomgyu had a thing for setting people up every holidays, but he can’t even sort out his own… (never mention it to him, he will flip.)
Relationships: Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun, Choi Soobin/Park Sunghoon
Comments: 11
Kudos: 27





	Maybe This Year

_ December 23, 2020. _

“ _Hello, Soobin-hyung?_ ” Beomgyu’s voice came from the other line. Soobin looked over his shoulder –towards his calendar. A day before Christmas Eve.

It is day number 24 of convincing Soobin to attend Beomgyu’s Christmas party.

“If this is about your party again, forget it. I’m not going… I’m sorry Beom,” he sighed, feigning a sorry tone.

“Oh, c’mon, really?” He could imagine Beomgyu’s lips forming a pout. The poor guy has been preparing a big party since September, making arrangements to different caterings and design companies. He did it every year, reserving a huge place that could fit a hoard of people.

The friends of the friends of his friends could come, everyone with a connection to Beomgyu was invited. Soobin was one of Beomgyu’s inner circle friends along with Taehyun, Huening Kai, Hyunjin, Heeseung, Jeongin—but Soobin didn’t want to enumerate them all since he might remember the _one_ name that ruined the idea of Christmas for him.

“Yes, Beom, really. Maybe some other time?”

“Hyung,” Beomgyu said, “What’s keeping you from coming? Did I upset you? Was it something I said?”

“Beom, it’s not you. Think deeper.”

Soobin heard the ruckus on the other line, Beomgyu was probably at the venue, adding final touches to the party site. Soobin nearly laughed when he heard Heeseung and Taehyun arguing over where to put the mistletoes, while Kai just complained about, “ _Why are there mistletoes everywhere? Is someone expecting a freaking kiss?!_ ”

 _“Where are the marshmallows?”_ Kai yelled, halting the others’ bickering.

“Kai, shut up, I’m trying to think here!” Beomgyu shot back, Soobin could imagine him glaring at the younger. Right, Soobin nearly forgot Beomgyu was still trying to convince him to come over.

“Oh.” Beomgyu _finally_ said, letting out a breath. “This is about Sungh--”

“Don’t you dare say his name, I _will_ hang up.”

“Aren’t you over him yet?” Beomgyu pried further, to which Soobin answered with silence.

“He’s not coming. He just told me yesterday, he said he’s going to another party for a change. I’m gonna say, I’m _hurt._ He found another party to go to, and no other parties are better than mine.”

Of course, Beomgyu would act butt hurt about it.

“You’re bluffing me, Beom. He’s not stupid enough to miss out on all the food--”

“Apparently he is. He said he wanted to see this dog named Layla so bad. Dunno with him—so please, hyung. I’m short of one friend, please be a dear and believe me.”

. . .

How much hurt must one inflict to taint the cheery Christmas atmosphere and turn it into something someone would happily skip just to avoid the said person?

“ _What exactly has he done?_ ”

You see, Beomgyu had the same question. He never found out about what really transpired between Sunghoon and his Soobin hyung last 2019. He just supposed it was something bad judging from Soobin’s actions that night.

Soobin had walked out of the reception area, running out of the holding room and into the open-air field where he had a good view of the sky, the intricate decorations, and the cold snow.

“Soobin-hyung,” Someone called, gripping Soobin’s arm through the thick cloth of his winter jacket. Soobin flinched, ready to break into a run again, only to see that the said person was Beomgyu.

“What happened in there?”

“You should go back… I’ll just… I’ll go home, Beom. Enjoy your night. Merry Christmas.”

“… Merry Christmas, hyung.”

With that, Soobin left, pulling up his hood and brisk walking through the snow. Beomgyu continued to stare at his friend’s receding form.

The tears that coated his hyung’s eyelashes still bothered Beomgyu.

When he went back inside the reception, his eyes scanned for Sunghoon’s form, wanting an explanation he obviously couldn’t get from Soobin. But even Sunghoon had left.

“ _Hyung, you have to get it all out. Don’t keep it all bottled inside, it has been weeks and you still look like shit,_ ” Now it was Taehyun, who came inside Soobin’s dorm along with Beomgyu and Kai.

This particular conversation transpired on Valentine’s day of 2020.

“What do you guys expect me to do? Ask Sunghoon on a date?”

The other three were taken aback by Soobin’s statement. Clearly, the younger has still been on Soobin’s mind.

“No… we want you to begin looking out for yourself. If your neighbor hadn’t called you to wake you up the other night, you could’ve burned this entire place,” Taehyun continued, shaking his head upon remembering the incident.

“I was just heating up the kettle for my hot chocolate. It calms my nerves,” Soobin explained.

“I can’t believe you don’t find the fact that your neighbors began to smell smoke from here the least bit alarming,” Kai said, palm to his face in exasperation.

“ _What exactly has he done, hyung?_ ” There it was, Soobin’s dreaded question, coming straight from Beomgyu’s mouth.

“Nothing. He did nothing,” Soobin shook his head as he felt the familiar pricking of tears in his eyes.

“Really?” Kai deadpanned, surely Soobin wouldn’t be acting like this if Sunghoon did _nothing._

“He did nothing. I did everything for him and he did nothing! Fucking--” Soobin fisted at his hair in frustration. “Nothing—he did nothing!”

Kai was the first one to rise from his seat, enveloping Soobin in a hug, keeping Soobin’s hands from tearing hair from his own scalp. Their friend was a crying mess again.

Soobin pulled away from Kai, “I’m sorry… you guys wanted an explanation. I cried instead.”

Taehyun pushed a glass of water towards Soobin, “It’s okay. Let it all out.”

. . .

Beomgyu is Soobin’s personal cupid. His very own stupid wingman. Was stupid too harsh? No one can blame Soobin for that, though. Every single person Beomgyu has set up for Soobin turned out badly. Beomgyu had a thing for setting people up every holidays, but he can’t even sort out his own… (never mention it to him, he will flip.)

Christmas of 2016. This was when this tradition of Beomgyu’s started. Beomgyu had actually set Kai and Soobin up for a blind date. The story was, Kai wanted to experiment, wanted to know the feeling of having a boyfriend. So, Beomgyu did his research and found Soobin. A fourth-year Arts and Letters student.

Soobin was reluctant at first, but upon getting to know Beomgyu and his pure and good intentions, he agreed. After all, he wouldn’t want to miss the chance to eat at a 5-star buffet.

He ended up being best friends with Kai—gums. Inseparable. Both of them would rather die together that be caught doing anything close to romantic, though.

Soobin can’t hate his personal cupid, because he was also the one who brought Soobin into the best friend group he’s ever been a part of.

Christmas of 2017. Beomgyu has developed a certain liking to setting Soobin up. _“You’re literally boyfriend material, and you don’t have anyone? That’s depressing, Soobin, let me help.”_

This time, Beomgyu royally screwed up. Considering he and Soobin were only friends for a year, he didn’t really know Soobin’s dating preferences, he never bothered to ask.

That’s how Soobin ended up with Arin. Now that was extremely awkward. Arin is Soobin’s _cousin._ Since it was a blind date, Arin didn’t have any clue his beloved cousin was the _hot but shy_ date Beomgyu introduced.

The awkwardness faded as soon as they began drinking, though.

Christmas of 2018.

“Beomgyu, never set me up with a girl again,” Soobin sighed, already knowing what Beomgyu was going to suggest as soon as the younger opened his mouth.

“Too bad, Lia was excited to meet you…”

“Well,” Soobin walked towards Beomgyu, handing him a bottle of soda, “Tell Lia I’m sorry but I’m gay.”

Beomgyu creased his eyebrows, “You’re what?”

Soobin’s mouth formed an ‘o’. “Right, I haven’t told you have I?”

“Choi Soobin, we have been friends for three years and you never mentioned it.”

“Doesn’t matter, now you know. Besides, I thought you already figured it out after you set me up with Kai-ah.”

Beomgyu rolled his eyes, “Yeah, and look how that went. I don’t just assume someone’s gender either--”

“And yet you assumed Taehyun’s.” Soobin said bluntly. Boemgyu’s drink caught in his throat, the fizzing still on his tongue.

“I did _not!_ ”

Soobin proceeded to remind Beomgyu of the countless times he had said, “ _I can feel it in my bones, hyung. Taehyun-ah is so gay for me._ ”

Beomgyu didn’t host a party that year. Or well… he did, he just didn’t attend his own party.

“We’ll get back as soon as we fetch you your date,” Beomgyu practically pushed Soobin into his car. The elder was confused.

“Uhm, you found one _that_ fast?”

Beomgyu shrugged, “I have back-up plans, y’know.”

“I haven’t given Taehyun and Kai their gifts yet--”

“The ice rink is just a few minutes from here, we’ll be back as soon as the performance ends.”

That was the first time he’s set his eyes on Park Sunghoon. He’s never gotten out of his mind ever since. He’d always be skating around in Soobin’s pretty little head.

“Where is he?” Soobin asked as they entered an arena with a skating rink in the middle of the large place.

The taller proceeded to scan the crowd for anyone who would potentially be his date.

“Wait for it.” Beomgyu tugged Soobin’s arm to follow him to the seats Beomgyu has reserved. Soobin was perplexed as to why it was necessary to sit at the VIP, but then again, his friend was Choi Beomgyu.

After a few minutes of waiting, the announcer’s voice filled the arena, _“Now for our final performance of the night, we present, South Korea’s Ice Prince, Park Sunghoon.”_

The lights dimmed, spotlight focusing on a single figure dressed in white. The figure glided over to the center of the ring, doing a twirl and dancing along to Tchaikovsky.

He seemed like he could fly, the way he carried himself, he seemed as light as a feather. And when he began to spin, arms gracefully by his sides, maintaining a perfect balance, Soobin couldn’t take his eyes off him.

Soobin has never seen anyone dance with so much passion, never seen anyone have so much confidence to slide over thick ice with the thin metallic material of ice skates.

“Doesn’t he ever get dizzy?” Beomgyu quipped from beside him. When Soobin didn’t answer, Beomgyu smiled to himself and gave himself a pat on the back.

Christmas of 2019. Beomgyu didn’t plan anything for Soobin, he supposed Soobin and Sunghoon could sort themselves out. Not long after Soobin met Sunghoon, they’ve become great friends. That’s where everything starts, right? As friends?

But Beomgyu didn’t pair the two up for friendship, and as Beomgyu kept an eye on Soobin, he saw that as the months progressed, the sparkle in Soobin’s eyes that were once a mere fascination, developed into something more.

And _that_ was where Beomgyu made a mistake, he didn’t check up on Sunghoon as much as he did Soobin.

That year, Soobin did something quite risky.

“You’ve been friend for a year, I think that’s enough for the getting-to-know-you stage, hyung,” Beomgyu said after he pulled Soobin away from the crowds on the dance floor, away from where he was once with Sunghoon.

“What do you suggest I do, Beomgyu? I don’t… I don’t want to ruin what we already have.”

“Friendship? You’re content with that?” Beomgyu really shouldn’t be meddling with Soobin’s decisions, but he feels like he’s reading a frustrating slow burn fanfic whenever he sees the two together.

Oh, but Beomgyu forgot another particular part of that fanfic: one-sided love.

And that… was how Christmases were ruined for the sweet Soobin.

He had confessed that night, he got rejected.

 _“Hyung,”_ Sunghoon had said, concern in his eyes as Soobin braced himself for the pain he’d have a hard time recovering from, _“When Beomgyu introduced us… I knew his intentions.”_

Beomgyu and Sunghoon were apparently schoolmates, they never talked much, but Sunghoon would always hear things about Beomgyu. He’d been too shy to approach Beomgyu, he seemed like a good friend which was why Sunghoon wanted to get to know him.

 _“When Beomgyu contacted me, I was shocked. But I’ve heard of him and his way of being a matchmaker,”_ Sunghoon chuckled, _“And then, he told me he wanted to introduce me to someone. You. So I said, why not. I had nothing to lose.”_

As Sunghoon uttered those words, he had no idea Soobin was already losing everything.

_“I knew about your feelings for me.”_

That was when Soobin broke, _“Then why didn’t you stop?”_

_“Stop what, hyung? Being myself? I didn’t want to hurt you because I love you.”_

Sure. _“As a brother. You were always there for me, defend me when no one else would. Attend every single performance I had. I was afraid that… if I said anything I would lose a supportive friend like you.”_

Sunghoon looked up and into Soobin’s eyes, “ _I’m really sorry, hyung._ ”

_“You led me on for months, Hoon.”_

Sunghoon paused, the spoke, “ _I never did, hyung. I’m sorry if I seemed like I did--_ ”

_“Well it did. I’d kiss you on the cheek and you would return the kiss, how is that ‘not leading me on’?”_

Those were the last words Soobin has said to Sunghoon. It was harsh and he knew. But it was just a weak attempt to hurt Sunghoon like he hurt him.

Soobin didn’t have the strength to apologize or rekindle their friendship, it was already messed up and ruined after all.

. . .

_ December 25, 2020 _

“Is he there, Kai-ah? We both know it’s easy for Beomgyu to lie about it just to get me to come.” Soobin asked over the phone, he was right outside the venue already… he just wanted to make sure.

“Yes hyungie~ He’s not here, you’re totally safe.” There was a hint of something suspicious in Kai’s voice, but he ignored it. The boy was probably just teasing him.

. . .

“I thought you said he isn’t here!” Soobin whisper-yelled at Kai’s ear, making the younger flinch. Thankfully, Sunghoon hasn’t noticed them yet—t’was a miracle, considering both Kai and Soobin were skyscrapers.

“Beomgyu-hyung forced me to, he threatened to take his gift back.”

“Oh sure, yeah because the growth of your _stuffed animal collection_ is more important than me--”

“It is!” Kai said, Soobin forced himself to refrain from further bickering with Kai. It wasn’t his fault Soobin was still broken over Sunghoon anyway.

Sunghoon and his perfect smile. Sunghoon and his outstanding performance last Christmas of 2018 that made Soobin fall in the first place. Sunghoon and the way his words scarred Soobin.

Sunghoon and his sparkling eyes which were looking at one _lucky_ person who had a dog on his lap. Sunghoon and his laugh Soobin had learned to love, a laugh directed at the person beside him who probably cracked a really good joke.

Soobin’s fucking life—that was probably the joke.

“Uh… hyung,” he heard Kai say, snapping him out of his jealous state, “You okay?”

The person Sunghoon was with appeared to have noticed Soobin staring daggers at him. In a few seconds, the two now looked directly at him.

The chatter and music around them seemed to vanish as Soobin thought of a way out, only for Sunghoon to grab his arm before he could escape.

“Hyung,” came his voice. Soobin didn’t want to face him again, but he figured it was bound to happen someday.

“Hoon,” Soobin countered, waiting for whatever Sunghoon had to say. When he came to the conclusion that Sunghoon wasn’t going to be the one to start the conversation, he racked his own brain for something to break the ice, or some excuse for him to get away from Sunghoon’s gaze.

“I’m sorry,” Soobin said before he could stop himself. That… wasn’t what he expected to be saying in the many times he played this out in his head. Why was he the one apologizing?

“I’m sorry, Hoon.” There’s, Soobin said it again.

Perhaps… he had been the one at fault, Sunghoon didn’t do anything wrong aside from tell Soobin thetruth. Soobin was the one who chose to sever their communication, blocking him on all social media platforms and refusing to hang out with Beomgyu when Sunghoon was present.

He was the one who left Sunghoon hanging. He was the one who stopped being Sunghoon’s friend when his pursuit for something more was thrown out the window.

The hug that ensued shocked the elder. “I missed you, hyung. I’m sorry too.”

It has been a _year._ Sunghoon shouldn’t be accepting his apology after he went ghost on him for a whole entire _year._ Soobin’s own arms wrapped around the younger.

Sunghoon pulled away, a giddy grin on his face, “Friends?”

“Friends.”

. . .

It felt like an albatross was lifted from Soobin’s shoulders. Maybe that was all he needed, the same thing he’d been running away from—closure.

It was about time he stopped being selfish and accept that Sunghoon found nothing more than a brother in him. But, Soobin practically grieved over Sunghoon for an entire year, so it was acceptable that he couldn’t stomach meeting and talking to the younger’s other _friend_ who claimed to be nothing more than… but Soobin knew there was something going on between them.

At that, Soobin wandered off, going towards the nearest snack bar where a chocolate fountain stood. As Soobin reached out to grab a stick of marshmallows, another hand beat him to it.

“Hey!” Soobin yelped in surprise, it was the last stick of marshmallows on the table.

“Sorry,” the other guy said, coating the stick with chocolate for him, “Here. You can have it.”

Soobin looked towards the person who was handing him the snack. Because of the dimness of the place, Soobin couldn’t make out the face of the guy, but he did notice something about him that stood out. His pink hair.

“No… you can have it.”

The other person insisted, “Nah, I’m up for the stage in a few minutes. The chocolate would probably make my throat itch.”

Soobin reluctantly took it and muttered a thanks.

Soobin nearly smeared the chocolate all over Beomgyu’s face when he turned. His friend was apparently behind him the whole time, startling the taller.

“So I see you’ve finally met Yeonjun-hyung.”

“Uhh, so what if I did?” Soobin raised an eyebrow. Until it dawned on him that this could be another one of Beomgyu’s set-ups.

It was, but Beomgyu wasn’t about to tell Soobin. He just wanted to see how it would play out.

“He’s single.”

“Why are you telling?”

Beomgyu shrugged, radiating an innocent aura that didn’t faze the elder.

Soobin turned to look for _Yeonjun,_ and Beomgyu must have sensed Soobin’s disappointment when he couldn’t find him.

He _did_ say that he’s up for the stage.

“Soobin-hyung?”

“Yes, Beom?”

“Maybe this year.”

“Huh?” Soobin said, gears in his mind slowly moving since his mind was still preoccupied with the pink-haired not-so stranger.

Beomgyu only smiled as he walked away to look for Taehyun, who was at the other side of the reception hall.

Soobin was alone again, but at least Sunghoon ceased being the face engraved behind his eyelids when he blinked

. . .

Someone tapping at the microphone up front caught Soobin’s attention.

Yeonjun.

“Mic test, mic test,” he said, and Soobin could already feel this guy was confident. If Soobin were up there, he’d be a nervous sputtering mess.

Soobin’s eyes were transfixed on Yeonjun, and the elder knew he was staring. With Soobin’s height, it wasn’t hard for Yeonjun to notice him. He hadn’t even started singing, what different kind of heart eyes would Soobin give once he hears him sing?

Soobin didn’t hear the first few beats of the song playing, he was too busy staring at how Yeonjun’s body swayed to the beat, how his lips were posed near the microphone, ready to sing. How Yeonjun’s hands rested comfortably atop the mic, which was perched on the metal stand.

How Yeonjun manages to look classy, fancy, casual, and daring at the same time baffled Soobin, and maybe that was one aspect that… attracted Soobin to Yeonjun.

The feeling of not being able to look away, the feeling of being _enchanted,_ it was familiar to Soobin. Only now, he was staring at a pink-haired fashionista instead of a raven-haired ice prince.

 _“It's the most beautiful time of the year, lights fill the streets spreading so much cheer,”_ Yeonjun began to sing, eyes closed, the English lyrics pouring out of his mouth without difficulty.

_“I should be playing in the winter snow_

_But I'mma be under the mistletoe,”_ The crowds began to sing along, Soobin averted his gaze and spotted Beomgyu and Taehyun… under a mistletoe. The bastard planned it, didn’t he? Finally, after years of trying to stay blind to the fact they were both whipped for each other, they were finally gonna get together. 

“ _I don't want to miss out on the holiday_

 _But I can't stop staring at your face_ ”

Why did the lyrics sound as if Yeonjun noticed Soobin wasn’t looking at him?

There was something in Yeonjun’s voice. Something _more_ than the way Sunghoon’s skates glided over ice—something that made Soobin tear away his gaze from the _couple_ right before Taehyun pulled Beomgyu in for a kiss.

And… Yeonjun was looking right at Soobin. Not at Soobin’s hair, not his forehead, not his winter coat—there was a connection between them, a connection with their eyes.

_“I should be playing in the winter snow_

_But I'mma be under the mistletoe,”_ Soobin must’ve been too spellbound by the elder’s voice, and the way his lips would form into a pout whilst singing—too mesmerized to notice that Yeonjun had something in his back pocket.

The flashing lights reflected in Yeonjun’s eyes, how could one’s eyes be capable of holding stars?

It was like Yeonjun moved in slow motion, but he wasn’t. It was just Soobin’s mind playing tricks on him. Both his mind and heart were playing with him, it wasn’t fair.

Yeonjun taking off the microphone from the stand was the only action that cut their eye contact.

The crowd followed Yeonjun with their eyes as he began to move around the stage. Was this guy an idol or something? With a stage presence like his? He might as well have been one.

_“With you, shawty with you_

_With you, shawty with you_

_With you, under the mistletoe,”_ Yeonjun’s white outfit was now gleaming green and blue in accordance with the blinking of the Christmas lights above him.

Goosebumps pricked at Soobin’s skin despite being fully wrapped in his winter clothes. 

He jumped when he heard a dog bark. Right, _Layla._ Yeonjun wasn’t fazed by the bark, Soobin followed the sound to see Sunghoon and Jake heading outside, where Beomgyu’s Christmas displays were. Maybe to quiet Layla down. Or to do something else, after all, there were mistletoes everywhere.

But Soobin didn’t want to dwell on that thought.

“ _Love, the wise men followed the star,_

_The way I follow my heart,_

_And it led me to a miracle,_ ” Yeonjun sang, fixing his gaze at Soobin as one of his eyes blinked, nose scrunched-- did Yeonjun just _wink_ at Soobin?

Soobin shook his head at the singer in disbelief, he couldn’t help but laugh a bit at Yeonjun’s weak flirting attempt.

Yeonjun’s lips, which were already singing in a permanent smile, grew wider at seeing Soobin’s reaction.

Was it only the red lights, or did Yeonjun blush?

Now, the crowd seemed to notice Yeonjun’s fascination towards Soobin, and some of them snuck peeks at Soobin just to see his reactions to whatever Yeonjun was doing.

Amidst the crowds, Soobin caught Kai making smoochy faces at him and Yeonjun. Soobin glowered at Kai, but that didn’t stop the youngest from taking the Molang he was holding and shoving it face first into the snout of the closest reindeer figurine while mouthing, _“Kiss kiss kiss.”_

“ _With you, shawty with you_

_With you, shawty with you_

_With you, under the mistletoe._ ”

Before Soobin could throw something at Kai, Yeonjun was… right in front of him. No wonder the crowd began gasping.

And, honestly? Soobin wanted to gasp too. But his heart might jump out of his body once he opens his mouth, it was beating too quickly for his liking.

Why was he about to have a heart attack?

Blame Yeonjun, who was now holding the mic in one hand… and took Soobin’s wrist in the other. He pulled on Soobin as he intertwined their fingers, as if urging Soobin to sway with him.

Again, there really was _something_ about Yeonjun. He barely noticed that Yeonjun has led him to the middle of the hall, the crowd circled around them.

The song reached its last few beats, Soobin’s mood dropped. He didn’t want this to end. He stopped singing along to Yeonjun, staring intently at the other guy’s beautiful features.

Yeonjun closed his eyes as he felt Soobin pull him closer, refusing to let go of his hand.

“ _Kiss me underneath the mistletoe,_

 _Show me baby that you love me so~”_ Yeonjun continued to hum to the beat, drawing out the time as long as he could, using the performance as an excuse for this sudden skinship with the stranger.

He felt someone’s hand reach for his back pocket… Yeonjun’s eyes shot open—because at his back pocket was a small mistletoe bundled by a red ribbon.

He’d planned to corner Soobin with the mistletoe earlier, but he chickened out and settled for dancing with him instead.

Yeonjun’s eyes adjusted to the dim lights to see that Soobin was holding the mistletoe above them.

“Did you really think you could hide this from me?” The taller one said, dangling the tied-up leaves atop their heads. 

Where did this sudden confidence come from? Maybe the sugar rush from all the chocolate… maybe it was from Kai’s earlier teasing, or Beomgyu’s successful Christmas flirting with Taehyun…

Or maybe it was all just Yeonjun and how his voice alone made Soobin feel the Christmas magic. How Yeonjun’s gaze alone… was able to rekindle the fire that has been extinguished by an ice-cold friend.

For someone as confident as Yeonjun, he kind of looked like a lost kitten, looking dumbfounded at Soobin, irises darting from Soobin and the mistletoe.

“No…” Yeonjun said as he coughed, clearing his throat. He noticed that Soobin’s arm around his hips secured him in place. Not that he was complaining.

“But I’m glad that sulky look on your face is gone,” Yeonjun said as he finally found the right words to say.

“Did you also think that there’s this slight possibility I might start to love Christmas again because of you?”

Yeonjun blushed deeper (Soobin was freaking out in the inside, but someone had to play the active role so--), “ _Words words where are you when I fucking need you!_ ” Yeonjun thought, trying to still his beating heart.

“Christmas only lasts a day, Soobin.”

It was Soobin’s turn to be confused as he waited for Yeonjun to continue.

“Why love Christmas, when you can love me everyday instead?”

Soobin squealed in the inside.

“Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me?”

“I have a hint, yes,” Yeonjun licked his lips and tipped his head up, reminding Soobin about the green mistletoe above them.

“Aren’t you gonna kiss--”

Soobin crashed his lips onto Yeonjun’s as the crowd cheered. Now, the mistletoe was discarded on the floor as the both of them exchanged tender kisses, something Yeonjun has been wanting to do for the past hour or so.

After a long time of avoiding his previous Christmas memories… Soobin would finally learn to love Christmas… and Yeonjun every waking day, as he said.

Yeonjun might as well have been the best Christmas gift ever.

Beomgyu was right, maybe this year was different. Because this year, Soobin met Yeonjun, the not-so stranger he kissed under a makeshift mistletoe.

. . .

As Soobin stayed up late that night at his apartment, the scene replayed in his head.

He wondered if he would ever see Yeonjun again, since none of them had bothered to ask for each others contacts, they figure Beomgyu could fill them up with the necessary details if need be.

As doubts filled in Soobin’s head… his cellphone pinged.

_ Unknown: Hello, cutie <33 This is Yeonjun from earlier. Are you up to meet on new year’s eve?  _

__

_ Soobin: Depends, will I get to kiss you again? _

__

_ Yeonjun: god you’re whipped for me already? _

__

_ Soobin: Hey! Says the one who got all shy earlier _

__

_ Yeonjun: aight, im taking that as a yes. See you on the 31st :>> <3  _

_ - _

Soobin can’t help smiling as he clicked on Beomgyu’s contact, sending a message of thanks. Soobin may have sent Beomgyu a 3-paragraph long message of gratitude that mainly consisted of him thanking his friend for inviting Yeonjun to his party.

Beomgyu took so long to reply…, but then again, who could blame him?

Soobin wasn’t the only one who kissed someone under the mistletoe.

**Author's Note:**

> merry christmas :>> i told yall i know how to write fluff


End file.
